Perodua joins forces with UTM to drive next-gen EVs development

KUALA LUMPUR: Undoubtedly, the electric vehicle market continues to show strong growth in Malaysia, but what’s missing is the contribution of the national automakers. While Proton launched the eMAS.7 as its first EV late last year, Perodua is still in the development stage. Well, the latter is now geared up to take charge.

After joining hands with Telekom Malaysia in December 2024, Perodua has now collaborated with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to develop the country’s next generation of electric vehicles (xEV).

Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), under which they agreed to equip future engineers with the skills required for xEV technology development. They will together promote knowledge sharing and provide exposure to the latest tech to academicians and engineers alike.

“We look forward to exploring a future where Malaysia can develop its own xEV technology and its benefits be shared with our future generation,” Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said.

“With this MoU, Perodua is taking a step further from our original mandate from being a vehicle for technological transfer to becoming an entity that drives technological development,” he said.

Adding to that, Prof. Dr. Rosli Md Illias, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), highlighted the potential of this venture. “This collaboration underscores the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry that can empower graduates with the skills and knowledge,” he said.

Founded in 1993 with an aim to provide Malaysianswith high-quality affordable mobility solutions, Perodua also played a key role in transferring technology. It developed the national automotive ecosystem and helped improve the technical and technological knowledge of Malaysians.

The automaker’s recent collaboration with UTM will help Malaysia to remain competitive in the global automotive sector. Not only it will empower university students and researchers but will also serve as a model for academia-industry partnerships.

Key elements of the Perodua-UTM partnership -

• Enhancing academic curriculum: Both parties will jointly enhance the university’s undergraduate academic curriculum for engineering and other related courses.
• Satellite lab: Under MoU, a satellite lab will be established at UTM’s main campus in Skudai, Johor.
• Knowledge exchange: Both Perodua and UTM will share knowledge on the current advancements in automotive technologies, particularly xEV.
• Exposure to xEV technology: The academicians and engineers will also get exposure to the next-gen EV technologies.
• Collaboration in academia, training, and R&D: The joint activities will also be undertaken in the field of academia, research & development, and talent development and training programmes for the employees.
• Other benefits: Despite these, the parties will also explore additional areas of collaboration for their mutual benefit.

With such partnerships, Malaysia’s largest automaker is set to establish a strong foundation for advanced sustainable mobility in the nation. 

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